IONA: Following years of research conducted at the Iona port, Lillianah Technologies has officially expanded its operations with the opening of a new facility that includes a laboratory and dedicated research space. The company has been collecting environmental data from the Bras d’Or Lakes and is now poised to further its mission of carbon removal and ocean restoration.
Founded by CEO Benjamin Slotnick, Lillianah Technologies is committed to extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while enhancing oceanic health and biodiversity. Since launching research activities in the Bras d’Or Lakes in 2023, the company has advanced toward full-scale operations at the Aros Na Mara research facility, located in the Village of Iona.
With a team of approximately six employees, Lillianah has spent the past year fabricating custom photobioreactors within the new facility. These reactors simulate light and airflow conditions to support the growth of microscopic aquatic plants – key organisms in oceanic oxygen production.
“Once the reactors are up and running, then the team will then be cultivating the right types of phytoplankton to really fix the lake,” said Slotnick. “All the oxygen that everyone breathes in, more than half of it comes from diatom’s photosynthetic activity in the ocean. A healthy diatom community in the ocean allows the earth to stay oxygenated, allowing for life to thrive.”
As part of their initiative, Lillianah has engaged with local communities, the Department of Fisheries, First Nations communities, and the Bras d’Or Lakes Collaborative Planning Initiative to build transparency and trust around their work.
“We want everybody to be aware of what we’re doing and why. We don’t want anyone to accidently think we’re leaving them behind, because we’re not,” Slotnick said.
Slotnick, who holds a Master’s degree in Paleoecology, initially found it difficult to secure stable employment in the field. He transitioned into the oil and gas sector, where he completed a PhD and gained insight into the emerging carbon industry. Drawing from this experience, he developed a model for using phytoplankton – particularly diatoms – supplemented with silica to filter water and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Lillianah’s approach involves using silica, a naturally occurring mineral found primarily in sand and quartz, to enhance phytoplankton growth. “Returning waterways back to their natural state, as if humans were never there,” remains a central goal, said Slotnick.
Originally planning to work in Halifax, Slotnick was introduced to Cape Breton University and its network of partners in Iona.
“Once the Bras d’Or Lakes became our main project location it was really appealing to us. That’s when the Iona connections began,” he said. “It’s an area that gives us the ability to be confident that our technology will work. It’s the right starting point to lay out the foundation for a much larger goal and that is to work throughout the world anywhere.”
Since initiating specific research last November, Lillianah has discovered native varieties of diatoms in the Bras d’Or Lakes that are ideal for their project goals.
“If we want to maintain the water quality and remove the carbon in the water, working with these species of diatoms is the right solution,” Slotnick said.
With the new facility operational, the company is now hiring. They are seeking individuals with experience in vessel operation for data collection, as well as those with laboratory or phytoplankton cultivation expertise.
“And people that can help with the cultivation of the algae at the Aros Na Mara facility in Iona and anywhere else we expand into,” Slotnick added. “We’re looking for pretty much people with feet on the ground who have operation experience.”